A new study from the University of Otago in Christchurch has found that people who weigh more may not be getting enough vitamin C. This is a serious issue, especially with obesity becoming more common around the world.
The study was published in a journal called Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. It says that the current advice about how much vitamin C people need might be too low for those who have higher body weight.
Professor Anitra Carr, who led the study, explained that the current guidelines are based on someone who weighs about 70 kilograms, which is around 154 pounds. But many people weigh more than that, and they might need extra vitamin C to stay healthy.
In New Zealand, the official recommendation from the World Health Organization is only 45 milligrams of vitamin C per day. This is one of the lowest recommendations in the world.
But Professor Carr’s study shows that for every extra 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of body weight, people may need an additional 17 to 22 milligrams of vitamin C. So if someone weighs a lot more than 70 kilograms, they probably need much more vitamin C than what’s currently recommended.
The research was done with help from other scientists in Denmark and the UK. They looked at health data from two large studies: one from the United States with about 2,800 people, and one from Europe with more than 20,000 people.
The results showed that most people weren’t getting enough vitamin C. Even when they followed the current advice, only about two-thirds had enough vitamin C in their bodies. When scientists adjusted the numbers based on people’s weight, only one-third to half of the people had enough.
One reason for this problem is that obesity can cause inflammation in the body. This creates stress inside the body, which uses up more vitamin C. Also, people who are overweight are more likely to have health problems like type 2 diabetes or fatty liver disease, which can also lead to lower vitamin C levels.
To solve this problem, experts suggest that people should eat more foods with vitamin C or take supplements. Professor Carr said it doesn’t have to be hard. If you weigh 70 to 80 kilograms, eating one or two apples can help. For people who weigh more, an orange or a kiwifruit might be better. These fruits have much more vitamin C.
If you take vitamins, you should also check how much vitamin C is in them. Some multivitamins don’t have enough to meet your needs.
This study also reminds us that vitamin C is good for more than just avoiding scurvy. It helps the body heal, protects against heart disease and cancer, and can even help reduce tiredness and sadness—especially in people who are overweight.
As more people around the world struggle with weight, this research shows we need to think more carefully about how much vitamin C people really need. Updating the guidelines could help people stay healthier as they get older and heavier.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about why vitamin K is so important for older people, and this snack food may harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin that may protect you from type 2 diabetes, and results showing this common chemical in food may harm your blood pressure.
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